


Ambushed

by BlueNerdBird



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Action, Angst, Bad Puns, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Tomato Puns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-10 01:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6933337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueNerdBird/pseuds/BlueNerdBird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During a trip to the market, Leo and Niles are ambushed by assassins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ambushed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sanyoushi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanyoushi/gifts).



Leo was both pleased and displeased about his current situation. He was grateful for the opportunity to buy tomatoes at the market without the ridicule of his siblings and pick up a few books for Corinn, but he was also annoyed at his smug retainer making jokes every step of the way.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling chilly today, from my head all the way _to ma toes,_ ” Niles said with a snicker. Leo scowled at him.

“Remind me why you are accompanying me today and not Odin?” Leo asked.

“Odin said he was ‘Helping Selena defeat her inner evils through an intense training session with the evil one himself.’”

“Training with Selena then, doesn’t surprise me with how much time they spend together,” Leo remarked.

“I’ve always thought Odin was a little fruity.”

“Fine, I will shop on my own. Goodbye Niles,” Leo said, and began to walk in the opposite direction.

“Wait, Lord Leo… Surely you can take a joke…” Niles said, still laughing, a huge grin on his face. Leo refused to turn around, and that was when Niles sensed it: a shift in the crowd, mutterings of people around them, a brief moment of silence.

“Milord!” he called out and pushed his way through the crowd as hooded figures around them drew daggers. Time slowed. Three figures emerged, daggers pointed at the young Lord. Niles moving with every bit of speed he had, reaching out for Leo.

His hand yanks on expensive fabric, ripping it slightly, but with enough time to pull Leo out of the reach of the assassins. Things moved faster. Niles reaching for his bow that was not there, Leo pulling out a hidden sword, parrying the blade of one of the attackers. His hands reached for a hidden blade tucked into his boot. Daggers were not his strength, but it was something to protect with Leo with. That was all that mattered.

Blades flashed in the sun, and at some point all the people in the crowd had backed away during the fight. There was space, and it was well lit. There was nowhere for the assassins to hide. Downside, he and Leo were outnumbered.

They hadn’t trained together as much as either would have liked, but as their backs met and they fought to defend the other. Niles couldn’t help but feel a surge of energy, he had more trust in Leo than anyone else he had ever fought alongside, and he knew that Leo trusted him as well.

Despite the rhythm of battle, Niles felt uneasy with the dagger. His enemies were too close, he preferred to fight from a distance. In order to even try and injure the assassin, he needed to risk himself getting hurt. He hadn’t fought like this since his days as an outlaw, skirmishing up close where he could see the face of his enemy.

The ring of blades meeting rang through the buzzing street, a sharp cry from Leo’s side let him know that one assassin was down. He and Leo broke apart as they were each engaged with an assassin. Despite his limited experience with a dagger, Niles was pleased with how well he was holding up. He felt the focus of battle surround him as everything else disappeared, except for a gasp of air from behind him.

“Leo?” he asked, and turned to see the assassin had cut Leo’s shoulder, before the assassin could make a decisive blow, Niles turned and threw the dagger into the assassin’s chest. Seeing Leo safe made Niles glad, but it was cut short as he felt a searing pain shoot fire into his veins. Niles fell to his knees as he saw Leo call his name before everything turned black.

\-----

Leo paced outside the door for what felt like ages. He felt his feet get sore and his stomach growl in hunger, but he refused to budge until he knew whether Niles was okay. It had been his fault for not seeing the assassin that caused Niles to get distracted. He had been told from the beginning, since he had his first retainer, that they had to be willing to give their life for yours. When he lost his first retainer it had nearly destroyed him, and then Odin had come a few years later, and then a few months later Niles.

He felt awful for storming off after Niles had cracked those stupid jokes. It was inevitable that he would make jokes, and if he was honest, Leo had wanted to laugh, but it was too late now. He would’ve given anything to hear more of Niles’ ridiculous jokes and flirting, even though he knew it was never serious.

The door opened and the healer walked out. Leo stopped himself from sounding too shaken

“Is he alright?” Leo asked, hiding the slight shake in his voice.

“He is severely injured, but he’ll be alright. He’s resting right now,” at the healer’s words, Leo felt his shoulder drop in relief.

“Can I see him?”

“I suppose milord, but like I said he is asleep right now…” but Leo dismissed her words.

“Thank you for your help. I will not disturb him long,” Leo said with a small bow. The healer looked at him strangely before bowing back.

The room was well lit and strangely warm. Niles was asleep on the bed, lit up from light from the window. Leo smiled and thought it strange that someone who was so steeped in darkness was now bathed in light.

Leo pulled a chair from a nearby desk and moved it over to his bedside, trying not to worry himself further. The healer had said that Niles was going to be alright. Risking his own life to save him, Leo knew it was in the job description but that didn’t make it any easier to accept. Niles had been more than a retainer to him in recent years, he had become a friend. If anything it made reality harder to accept, that it was Niles’ duty to put himself on the line, to give his life for Leo’s, even if Leo could hardly imagine a life without him.

Leo couldn’t remember when he fell asleep beside Niles, but when he woke up the room was dark and Niles was still asleep. With a yawn, he got up and lit a few candles for light. His moving around must’ve stirred Niles because he heard a soft voice say,

“Ah, looks like my actions to save you were pretty fruitful,” Niles said with a grin, eyes still not open.

“N-Niles?” Leo said, his voice shaky. He was torn between relief and exasperation. All the time he had spent worrying and pacing all came crashing down and one thought ran through his head: Niles was going to be okay. Hearing him crack another joke, as awful as it was, was so painfully familiar that Leo couldn’t help but laugh. As he walked back over to the chair beside Niles’ bed he was still laughing.

“Milord I’m flattered you enjoyed that one, but I’ve never seen you laugh that hard before,” Niles said with a smile, but his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Leo continued to laugh, but his laughs began to break into sobs as Leo put his head in his hands.

“Lord Leo?” Niles asked, all amusement gone from his features. Leo didn’t look up at him as the laughs subsided into silent shakes, fear radiating off of his body.

“Please don’t do that again,” his broken voice said quietly. Niles almost missed it, but the emotion behind the words shocked him to the core.

“I can’t promise anything Milord. I owe you my life, and it is my duty to devote myself to you.”

“I nearly lost you Niles,” Leo said, head bowed as his shoulders shook.

“Milord…” Niles moved his hand to comfort Leo, but drew it away as Leo looked up. Leo’s eyes were red and tears streaked down his cheeks, and the sight of it made Niles’ insides twist as feelings he thought were long gone began to surface.

“I won’t let you get hurt. I promise, I will do everything I can to protect you Niles,” Leo said, voice still slightly shaky. Niles just smiled and shook his head.

“I’m afraid that is my job Lord Leo, but I’m glad you are safe as well. You finished the last assassin I take it? And your shoulder, was it hurt badly?”

“I slit his throat, and no. It was just a scratch.”

“Ah, well that is one way to do it. You know we made a pretty good team there for a while,” Niles replied, and Leo seemed to perk up a bit.

“That is true, we should train together sometime,” Leo said, and Niles almost missed the slight hint of a blush starting.

“I’d like that,” he replied, and he relaxed into the bed when he realized he really _would_. Leo had proven himself over and over to be a very capable fighter, and with his brains there was no doubt that the two of them could be quite the tag team.

“I’ll let you rest now,” Leo said, and began to get up, but Niles’ reached out his hand and caught his for a second.

“Lord Leo… thank you. I didn’t think anyone would ever see me as a friend, I’m glad that you have come to see me as one as well. If you don’t mind… I wouldn’t want you to feel pressure to stay but if you have other duties you need to attend to…”

“I can stay for a while longer Niles,” Leo responded with a smile, one more genuine than he had worn for a long time.

“I am honored Milord,” Niles said.

It didn’t take long before Niles fell back asleep, but Leo refused to leave his side. When the healer returned to check on him again, she saw Leo asleep in the chair and Niles asleep on the bed next to him. At some point, his head had fallen from his propped up arm onto the bed beside Niles. Not wanting to disturb them, she decided instead to return later in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> also posted on one of my sideblogs: weeabirdd


End file.
